Qualcomm has added two new IoT modules to its wireless connectivity product series: the Qualcomm QCC730M ‘micro-power’ WiFi 4 module and the QCC74xM tri-radio module, with both modules designed for smart homes, smart appliances, medical devices, and industrial applications. The Qualcomm QCC730M is a dual-band, micro-power Wi-Fi 4 module with a 60MHz Arm Cortex-M4F MCU, 640kB SRAM, 1.5MB RRAM, hardware crypto accelerator, and secure boot, debug, and storage. Its low-power design is ideal for portable, battery-powered IoT devices like IP cameras, sensors, and smart locks. Based on the Qualcomm QCC730 module, it features a 36-pin LGA package with a PCB antenna or RF connector and supports up to 4MB of optional NOR flash. The Qualcomm QCC74xM is Qualcomm’s “first programmable connectivity module,” integrating a 32-bit RISC-V module, optional stacked memory (PSRAM and NOR flash), and a tri-radio chipset for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread and Zigbee). Its [...]

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AMD Versal Premium Series Gen 2 SoC FPGA combines dual-core Cortex-A72 and dual-core Cortex-R5F processors with high-end FPGA fabric with up to 3.2 million logic cells and CXL 3.1 (Compute Express Link), PCIe Gen6, and DDR5/LPDDR5X high-bandwidth interfaces for data center, communication equipment, test & measurement, and aerospace & defense data-intensive applications. AMD Versal Premium Gen2 specifications: CPU cores Dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 application core, 48 KB/32 KB L1 Cache w/ parity & ECC; 1 MB L2 Cache w/ ECC Dual-core Arm Cortex R5F, 32 KB/32 KB L1 Cache, and 256 KB TCM w/ECC Memory – 256MB on-chip with ECC FPGA fabric System Logic Cells – Up to 3,273,480 LUTs – Up to 1,496,448 DSP Engines – Up to 7,616 Interfaces connected to CPU cores 2x Ethernet 2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C 2x CAN-FD 1x USB 2.0 FPGA memory, interfaces, I/Os, and transceivers Up to 327 Mbit memory @ 273 [...]

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GenBook RK3588 is a modular Linux (and Android) laptop powered by a Rockchip RK3588 Arm system-on-module (SoM), and easily serviceable by the user who can add M.2 MVMe SSD storage, switch wireless module, and eventually update to a more powerful SoM, or even change the display. It looks very similar to the Cool Pi Arm Linux laptop, and it’s indeed made by the same company, but a representative told CNX Software that the GenBook RK3588 was an upgrade of the Cool Pi without further details. So let’s have a closer look. GenBook RK3588 laptop specifications: System-on-Module – GenM5 (same as Cool Pi CM5 except for the move from LPDDR4/4X to LPDDR5) SoC – Rockchip RK3588 octa-core processor with 4x CortexA76 cores, 4x CortexA55 cores Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU Video decoder – 8Kp60 H.265, VP9, AVS2, 8Kp30 H.264 AVC/MVC, 4Kp60 AV1, 1080p60 MPEG-2/-1, VC-1, VP8 Video encoder – 8Kp30 H.265/H.264 video [...]

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MicroPython has become one of the most popular ways of programming microcontrollers, and the just-released MicroPython v1.24 adds support for the widely-used Raspberry Pi RP2350 and Espresif ESP32-C6 microcontrollers and a range of other changes. Those include improved RISC-V support with native code generation, an updated Zephyr v3.7.0 RTOS with threading support, unified TinyUSB bindings across ports, a portable UART IRQ API, and enhanced mpremote recursive copy. Damien George goes into more detail about the RISC-V improvements: … include an RV32IMC native code emitter, native NLR and GC register scanning implementations for 32- and 64-bit RISC-V, support for placing RV32IMC native code in .mpy files and also freezing it, and RISC-V semihosting support. Testing for RISC-V is done with the qemu and unix ports, and the support is utilised in the esp32 and rp2 ports. The Raspberry Pi RP2350 comes with both Arm Cortex-M33 and RISC-V cores, and the good [...]

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PALO ALTO, CA– JetBrains, the creators of PyCharm, the popular Python IDE for data science and web development, has formed a new partnership with OpenCV, the world’s largest library for computer vision. As part of the collaboration, JetBrains has joined OpenCV as a Silver Member, making PyCharm the official Python IDE for OpenCV.

Actively developed since June 2000, OpenCV is essential for developers and researchers working in fields like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotics, providing powerful, open-source tools that accelerate innovation. JetBrains’ financial contribution as a Silver Member will help sustain OpenCV.org, ensuring that this invaluable resource remains free for both commercial and non-commercial projects. This is especially important as more and more of the tech industry becomes closed off to the open source community.

JetBrains, known for its suite of world-class development tools, including PyCharm, has a long-standing reputation for delivering innovative software solutions. PyCharm, in particular, is a favorite among developers due to its smart code completion, deep code analysis, support for web development frameworks, and interactive Jupyter notebooks. In addition, PyCharm is powered by an AI Assistant and provides superior database support, Python script editing, as well as support for Hugging Face, Databricks, Conda, dbt-Core, and much more. Its slogan, “Focus on code and data. PyCharm will take care of the rest,” reflects the platform’s mission to let developers focus on their core tasks while PyCharm automates routine processes. This is especially beneficial for developers working with OpenCV, as it ensures that AI and data science projects are developed faster, more efficiently, and with fewer errors.

Dr. Satya Mallick, CEO of OpenCV, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, “High-quality development tools like PyCharm are essential for driving innovation in AI and computer vision. JetBrains’ support as a Silver Member ensures that OpenCV continues to be freely available for developers around the world. PyCharm’s powerful features will undoubtedly enhance productivity and spark the imagination of OpenCV community members everywhere.”

A JetBrains executive commented, “At JetBrains, giving back to the community is a core part of our mission. By partnering with OpenCV, we’re supporting a global ecosystem of developers working in AI and computer vision, ensuring they have the best tools and open-source resources available. Our collaboration with OpenCV reflects our commitment to advancing technology and empowering developers to focus on what matters: creating impactful code.”

JetBrains’ involvement in OpenCV will also be highlighted on OpenCV Live, a popular weekly show which airs Thursday at 9am Pacific. PyCharm will be featured in episodes that showcase how its features can enhance the development process for computer vision and AI applications, beginning with an appearance on November 7th. Registration for the stream is available at http://opencv.live

As an industry leader, JetBrains has long been committed to supporting the open-source community. Trusted by developers worldwide, including those at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta, JetBrains provides tools that improve productivity and foster innovation. The company’s decision to become an OpenCV Silver Member reinforces its dedication to the advancement of AI and computer vision, two fields that are rapidly transforming industries around the world.

For organizations interested in joining JetBrains in supporting open-source computer vision and AI, OpenCV offers a variety of membership opportunities. Becoming a member allows companies to contribute directly to the sustainability of OpenCV, ensuring that these powerful tools remain accessible to all.

More information on how to support OpenCV’s mission can be found at opencv.org/membership

About JetBrains
JetBrains is a software development company renowned for creating powerful, intelligent tools designed to enhance developer productivity. Founded in 2000, JetBrains offers a wide range of integrated development environments (IDEs) and tools tailored to various programming languages and platforms. Among its flagship products are PyCharm, a leading Python IDE that provides robust features for coding, debugging, and testing, and CLion, an advanced IDE for C and C++ development. JetBrains’ tools are trusted by developers worldwide to streamline workflows, improve code quality, and foster efficient development across multiple programming environments.

About OpenCV
OpenCV is the largest and most widely used open-source library for computer vision and artificial intelligence. The library is downloaded over 20 million times per month, and used in an estimated 80% of embedded vision systems. OpenCV code powered Stanley, the first DARPA Grand Challenge winner, and was used in NASA’s 2020 Mars Helicopter project. Operated by the non-profit Open Source Vision Foundation, OpenCV is dedicated to advancing the field through open collaboration and democratizing access to transformative technologies. OpenCV’s official website is https://opencv.org

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Your automatic garage door is almost certainly the most vulnerable access point in your house. Traditional systems are notorious for their susceptibility to replay attacks, but even more sophisticated modern garage door openers and those that lack remote functionality entirely are still prone to human error — you may simply forget to close the door. This “auto closer” system developed by SébastienL42 prevents such errors.

At its heart, this setup’s purpose is to close a garage door that a homeowner mistakenly left open. That’s a common problem, as you can see for yourself if you drive around a suburban residential neighborhood at night. If a homeowner forgets to close their garage door, SébastienL42’s device will sound a notification through an indoor dashboard. If enough time passes, it will go ahead and close the door itself.

That functionality requires two Arduino Nano Every boards. The first goes in the garage and connects to the garage door opener so it can close to the door. It detects a closed door using a pair of microswitches. The second Arduino is for the indoor dashboard, which provides notifications and control buttons. SébastienL42 designed that dashboard to fit into a picture frame and it looks really nice.

The two Arduino boards communicate with each other via nRF24L01 radio transceiver modules, which could potentially create a new vulnerability. But SébastienL42 put serious thought into that possibility and eliminated exposure by simply making the system incapable of opening the garage door — it can only close it. If a bad actor somehow gained access, they wouldn’t be able to do anything more nefarious than close the door for the homeowner. And the garage door opener’s standard safety features remain in place, so there shouldn’t be any danger.

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Robotics is already an intimidating field, thanks to the complexity involved. And the cost of parts, such as actuators, only increases that feeling of inaccessibility. But as FABRI Creator shows in their most recent video, you can build a useful robotic arm with just a handful of inexpensive components.

This is pint-sized robotic arm that has some of the same features as big and expensive industrial robots, just on a smaller scale. Users can operate the four joints manually, but can also record a series of positions and let the robot automatically move from one to the next. That is a popular programming technique in many industries, making this robot useful for learning real methodology and for performing practical tasks.

The best part is that this robot is very affordable. All of the parts, with the exception of fasteners and electronic components, are 3D-printable. The electronic components include an Arduino Nano board and four SG90 hobby servo motors that can be found for just a couple of dollars each. FABRI Creator designed a custom PCB to host the Arduino, to provide power input, and to simplify the wiring. That PCB isn’t strictly necessary, but it results in a much tidier robot. 

The assembled robot is small, but has enough reach to be useful and enough strength to lift light objects. It is a perfect starting point for people who want to learn robotics basics on a budget.

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Rockchip has unveiled the RK3688 AIoT SoC with Armv9.3 Cortex-A7xx cores delivering up to 250K DMIPS (RK3588 delivers 93K DMIPS), a 1 TFLOPS GPU, and a 16 TOPS NPU. The new processor succeeds the Rockchip RK3588 octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 first announced in 2019, and also features a 128-bit LPDDR4/4x/5 memory interface, and a UFS 4.0 storage interface. That’s about all we know about the RK3688 right now, but we can also deduct it’s probably based on a new, yet-to-be-announced Arm Cortex-A7xx core, possibly named Cortex-A730 or Cortex-A735, because no Arm cores have been announced with the Armv9.3 architectures. The Arm Cortex-A725 CPU core unveiled last May still relies on Armv9.2, and I’d expect new Arm cores to be introduced within the next few months unless Rockchip made a mistake in the presentation slide above. Two other platforms were also announced at the same time starting with a new entry-level/mid-range RK35XX octa-core [...]

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Altera, an independent subsidiary of Intel, has launched the Altera Agilex 3 SoC FPGA lineup built on Intel’s 7nm technology. According to Altera, these FPGAs prioritize cost and power efficiency while maintaining essential performance. Key features include an integrated dual-core Arm Cortex A55 processor, AI capabilities within the FPGA fabric (tensor blocks and AI-optimized DSP sections), enhanced security, 25K–135K logic elements, 12.5 Gbps transceivers, LPDDR4 support, and a 38% lower power consumption versus competing FPGAs. Built on the Hyperflex architecture, it offers nearly double the performance compared to previous-generation Cyclone V FPGAs. These features make this device useful for manufacturing, surveillance, medical, test and measurement, and edge computing applications. Altera’s Agilex 3 AI SoC FPGA specifications Device Variants B-Series – No definite information is available C-Series – A3C025, A3C050, A3C065, A3C100, A3C135 SoC FPGAs Hard Processing System (HPS) – Dual-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A55 up to 800 MHz that supports secure [...]

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The ADLINK AVA-1000 T2G gateway is a rugged, EN50155-compliant T2G (Train-to-Ground) gateway designed for railway and industrial environments. Powered by a choice of NXP i.MX8M Plus Quad Cortex-A53 processor or an Intel Processor N50 Alder Lake-N processor. The i.MX8M Plus model is equipped with up to 8GB LPDDR4 and a 64GB eMMC flash whereas the Alder Lake variant features up to 4GB LPDDR5 memory and a 32GB eMMC flash. In terms of connectivity, the gateway features three M12 GbE ports and supports a wide range of options including 5G, WiFi 6, and GNSS. The AVA-1000 T2G gateway’s fanless design, wide operating temperature range, and 24-110V DC input ensure reliable operation in industrial environments. Additionally, its compliance with EN50155 and other industrial standards makes it ideal for various industrial applications. AVA-1000 T2G gateway specifications System Processor (multiple options) NXP i.MX8M Plus quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.8 GHz with Cortex-M7 [...]

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